Temporary Labor Migration and U.S. and Foreign-Born Worker Resistance

This chapter examines how skilled and semi-skilled guest worker programs contribute to the displacement of workers throughout the U.S. economy. In the future, as migrant labor programs are institutionalized through the World Trade Organization and are viewed as the latest formula for economic development, it is likely that this new commodification of labor will spread into a growing number of labor market sectors, including manufacturing and transportation. At the same time the chapter reveals that while corporate human resource executives view migrant laborers as docile and complacent, a growing number are resorting to collective action in the form of micro organizing, where small groups organize to address the specific problems they face.

Competency models for assessing strategic thinking

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the competency models used by organizations to assess the strategic thinking ability of their leaders, managers, and other employees. Design/methodology/approach – A basic interpretive study was conducted with human resource executives across a broad range of large organizations. Participants were interviewed, and competency models in use were shared, reviewed, and discussed. The model development process was also explored in depth. Findings were verified via member checks and triangulation. Findings – Models in use either identify strategic thinking as a stand-alone competency, or embed it under three different areas. Most cover one or more executive levels, stating varying expectations for strategic thinking by job title or level, or differentiating strategic thinking performance levels. The models include descriptions of strategic thinking behaviors that cross seven categories of strategy development, implementation, and organizational alignment. Research limitations/implications – The study provides indications of potential generalizations that should be considered with more organizations across sectors. Practical implications – The findings provide practitioners with format and content examples to enhance the assessment of strategic thinking in existing competency models, as well as process considerations for model development/revision. The findings also identify how competency model components are used across the spectrum of talent management activities. Originality/value – The study fills a gap in the literature by providing empirically based identification of the strategic thinking behaviors organizations consider essential competencies and how they are assessed. In so doing, the study provides a glimpse of how strategic thinking is used in practice and across a range of strategic management activities. In addition, the study links strategic thinking to the competency development literature, illustrating details of competency model development for strategic thinking, and identifying opportunities for related theory development in both domains.

Use storytelling to engage and align employees around your strategic plans

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to help organizational and human resource leaders understand how to use storytelling to engage and align their employees around their strategic planning efforts. Design/methodology/approach – This paper lays out four guidelines organizations and human resource leaders can follow to help ensure their employees not only see the outcomes of their strategic planning efforts (e.g. strategic vision, brand positioning, mission, etc.), but also see themselves in those outcomes and, importantly, understand their role in bringing them to life. Findings – Storytelling is the way we most naturally communicate with each other as social and interconnected human beings. And yet, many organizations and organizational leaders never consider this timeless craft of humanity in their strategic planning efforts or recognize the role it can play in engaging and aligning employees around – and ultimately, implementing – the strategic vision and brand positioning that often result from those efforts. Organizations that embed storytelling into their strategic planning efforts effectively tap into their human nature to bring more meaning, focus and productivity not only to their work, but also their workforce. Originality/value – The concept of using storytelling to improve the impact and uptake of a company's strategic planning efforts will benefit organizational leaders and human resource executives who are responsible for the implementation of those plans and the engagement of their employees.

Professional Identity: Organizational Psychologists as Chief Human Resource Executives

We were asked by the editor of this journal about our reactions to the Ryan and Ford (2010) article. More specifically, she asked (a) to what degree “organizational psychologist” was part of our identities in our roles as the senior-most human resources executive in our respective organizations and (b) which of the scenarios described at the end of the Ryan and Ford article would most benefit organizations and the people who work in them (rather than examining which would be most beneficial to the profession itself).